Yahtzee – a dealbreaker?

Well, if you have missed the story of the sons that killed and were accessories after the fact to their mother’s death, let me sum it up for you – the last straw was when she wanted them to play Yahtzee. Yikes…that is quite a powerful statement about the burden of Yahtzee. Of course, the Yahtzee request was just the “tipping point” that the boys pointed to in explaining the murder and attempted cover-up. Every Yahtzee request obviously does not result in murder.

I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor folks who make Yahtzee and the folks who enjoy playing it. This is a dark shadow over Yahtzee lovers everywhere (just like the twinkie defense all but killed the twinkie market in the late 70s). It is hard to conceive that a game of mostly luck would be enough to put someone over the edge like that.

Now Monopoly, that is another story. Anyone who has ever played Monopoly with my son Noah can testify that there are some folks who overplay the game and make one a tad hateful in the process. He becomes the grand tycoon with stacks of Monopoly money – the one who has no sympathy for anyone that lands on his overbuilt properties. He evidences no mercy on those who are less fortunate in the game and is not inclined to be gracious in his ultimate triumph over crushing one’s Monopoly soul.

Monopoly, while seemingly luck based like Yahtzee, is really quite strategic and provides insight into one’s risk-taking behaviors. Noah takes big risks for big rewards, while the more prudent players plod along sensibly and are eventually crushed. The evil laughter and merciless smirk Noah adds to his triumph only serves to antagonize the situation. It gets pretty ugly – but murder, not quite.

We may throw his Monopoly game player piece at him, tell him he takes the game entirely too seriously and swear we will never play Monopoly with him again – but he lives to play and crush us another day. I surmise everyone has played a game or two over time with someone like Noah – someone who is 100% in it to win it – and become irritated as a result of it. Alas, you didn’t kill anyone, no matter how irritating they became.

If I were the judge who ultimately got to mete out the sentence in this case I would not only give those boys many years in prison, but force them to play Yahtzee daily with a big aggressive player named Bubba who is in prison for life for murder. That is what I would call fair play.

Day seven hundred and thirty-seven of the new forty – obla di obla da

Ms. C

About Ms. C

I teach at NDSU...but I remain a student of life with all the enthusiasm that entails. My favorite saying is, "Sometimes you have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down." In the new forty that is what I am doing...building my wings.

One Response to Yahtzee – a dealbreaker?

Sorry mother that I am an American and a capitalist at heart. I don’t believe there should be welfare in the game of monopoly, life is cut-throat and if you’re not winning then your losing but enjoy your Baltic Ave…… HA HA HA HA HA HA